1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for molding a continuous fiber prepreg part comprising prepreg tape comprises a plurality of unidirectional continuous fibers that are aligned to form tape and impregnated with a thermoplastic resin.
2. Background Art
A known method for producing a fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) part is a filament winding process for producing a continuous fiber prepreg part, which comprises obtaining prepreg tape by impregnating continuous fibers in a tape form with an unreacted resin solution that serves as a matrix resin and winding the prepreg tape around a mandrel by applying tension.
Thermosetting prepreg tape is characterized by low viscosity, uniform softness, and the property of being easily shaped, compared with thermoplastic prepreg tape. When thermosetting prepreg tape is used in a filament winding process, tension can be readily applied to fibers. This is essential for the exhibition of physical properties of continuous fibers.
Patent Document 1 describes a technique for subjecting a prepreg to molding in a simple shape, curing the prepreg, and then carrying out secondary processing after curing, and processing the prepreg into a complex three-dimensional shape.